


On the Other Side

by Mysticfeather87



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Everyone Needs A Hug, Mental Health Issues, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, greif
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28005957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysticfeather87/pseuds/Mysticfeather87
Summary: Peter Parker and Tony Stark centric One-Shots :))
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark, Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this was originally posted on Wattpad but I had wanted to begin writing on this site instead, I will be posting some of my favorite One-Shots. Excuse the grammar errors :)

It was in the headlines of every news reporter outlet the next morning. 

It followed Ned around where ever he went, even if he just walked into his kitchen, he'd see it on his TV in the living room. 

He didn't bother with school when he awoke to a notification from a news outlet he followed , for Spider-Man updates, pinged and showed the dreadful news he had hoped would never come. 

"Spider-Man, a hero's end?"   
"Protector of Queens gone?" 

Even the daily bungle had something to say,  
"Queens burdened weight finally lifted"

Ned had actually screamed in rage when reading that particular headline. 

Spider-Man was no menace, no villain in need of riddance. He was Peter Parker, a kind, young boy, who wanted nothing but to help the people of Queens.   
Ned clawed at his hair and let the grief he felt escape his eyes and drip off his nose. 

He couldn't imagine how May felt at this moment, if she already knows that is. She wasn't one to look at the news, but maybe Mr. Stark had already told her. Ned knew for a fact that Tony knew, for the fact several news sources reported Iron-man sobbing over the disfigured body that use to resemble the hero. Despite Spider-Man dying, no one knew his identity, Ned wondered if that was Mr. Starks doing. He can imagine Mr. Stark with a plan on how he will play this out, but he also didn't expect him to think about it at this moment as emotions ran high. And boy were his emotions running high, when he first heard the news he spent all of that day, and the day after, sobbing. Feeling as his sides seared with cramps and his throat gave out with the constant use of screaming his sadness for all of the neighborhood to hear. 

His mother had walked in the first day and attempted to console him, but she was having such a hard time figuring out why Ned had cared so much for this anonymous hero?  
The last two days he had spent at home he was utterly and terrifyingly silent. He didn't eat, didn't make any noise, or didn't express anything. His faces stayed as blank and ever as he stared down at his mother who had begged him to eat something. 

Then he went to school, 

And as expected was the worse thing Ned would ever hope to endure, the pain of walking through the front doors his friend absent by his side. The whole school, or those who had cared, believed that Peter was simply sick and that he would be back soon. Little did they know he would never step foot in this building again. 

The thought alone made Ned want to gag. 

He had truly tried to go about his day as normal as possible to deflate any suspicion, but he just couldn't, he had to reroute his daily walk to his best friends locker so he didn't have to bare the agony of realizing that he would never sneak up behind Peter as he tried to grab his books. He refused to sit at his and Peter's table, ignoring MJ's ice like stare as he strode past, without so much as a glance. Ned knew that she knew something was up, why wouldn't she? She seemed to had known everything about Peter, he would bet that she knew about his secret. 

His alter-ego, The thing that had gotten him killed,

Ned mentally scolded himself as he poked through his food absentmindedly, Spider-Man was Peter Parker, referring to him as an "it" would be an indirect blow at the teen himself.   
And Ned knew that Peter was aware the risks of the job. He was aware also, but he didn't ever imagine that he'd actually have to endure it.   
It was agonizing, but he couldn't do anything about it. 

-

Mr. Stark had called him as soon as he got home, he could practically smell the alcohol through the receiver as he was told that Peter was to have a a funeral, but when was not determined. 

"We want to...fix him up a bit," Tony's scratchy voice said, Ned could only assume he hadn't been the only one screaming. 

Ned didn't say anything, or even acknowledged that he had heard a thing. Just listened to Mr. Stark's ragged breathing before hanging up and chucking the phone full force at the wall beside him.   
He couldn't bring himself to care that he had shattered his phone, but soon came to realize that all of his last photos and messages with Peter had been on the phone. His had mom came home to find Ned sobbing on the floor uncontrollably, while grasping the remaining pieces of the electronic. 

She carefully tucked him into her arms and shushed him. 

But she still didn't understand, and Ned soon found that he was ok with that. 

-

In his days of sulking to himself Ned hadn't bothered to visit May, or even shoot her text before he had shattered his phone.Ned had acknowledged that she must be a mess, that she was doing worse than he was. But he couldn't bring himself to want to see her. He knew that seeing such a familiar Parker face would only break him more. 

So he didn't.

-

She was the first to call, 

It was about two weeks after, and Ned had finally got back his voice a bit, when his house phone rang. Ned wouldn't have answered it if he hadn't recognized the number. 

He remembered memorizing that number as soon as peter gave it to him when he was little so he could spend hours sitting on the counter talking with him over the phone about anything and everything. 

It was such a distant memory now, it felt almost as if it didn't happen and it was all just a dream he had made up. Ned picked up the phone, resting it against his ear and breathing out a small greeting.

"...Ned?" 

The her voice was so small and that one word itself nearly had Ned sobbing, but he kept a straight face, and held the phone tighter. 

"Yes" he croaked, tears stinging his eyes 

The phone was silent, the only thing that could be heard was May's shuttering breaths as she tried to control her own emotions.

"I-..I want you to come over," 

Ned's hands shook ever-so-slightly.

"I'm busy," 

"N-not now, soon. I need to.. talk to you about somethings." 

Ned nodded slowly, soon realizing that that may couldn't see his pitiful excuse of a reply.   
"Ok," and then he hung up. 

He knew that wasn't fair to May, she was suffering all the same, if not more, but he couldn't talk to her any longer. His whole body trembled with an emotion torn between fear and grief.   
He wasn't ready to talk to May, but what say did he actually have in it?

-

He knocked on her door quietly, hoping that she wouldn't hear and that he could just go home. But as soon as he took his knuckle off the door it swung open and he was embraced in a bone breaking hug. 

Mays scent bombarded Ned's senses and before realizing it, he had his arms around her too, tucking his face into her shoulder and letting out a gut wrenching sob. May squeezed tighter, rubbing his back soothingly. To which Ned thought was pathetic, he should be doing to her. She had been the one to actually loose a family member. He was just a blubbering mess of emotions he had no control over. 

And with the thought, he pulled away. Refusing to meet her eyes. 

May guided him inside and sat him on the couch, drinks already set in front of him, which he did not drink. 

The visit went as good as he had expected it to. He had about three different break downs and nearly left the apartment before May could tell him that they planned on revealing Peter's identity to the world at his funeral that was set two days from now. Ned nodded numbly, not entirely understanding why she couldn't had said this over the phone. 

"How do you feel about that Ned," May asked carefully, setting a hand on his knee and leaning forward. 

Ned looked at her, and now that she was closer he could see just how bad Peter's death is taking a toll on her. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy, and sported purple bags underneath them. Her hair was disheveled and greasy as if she had ran her hands through it many times. Her usually straight back posture was entirely absent and her slouch was entirely visible. He could even see that her cheeks had sunken in a bit, Ned could only assume it was the result of not eating. 

"I feel like Peter would have liked that," Both Ned and May flinched harshly at his name, both were unprepared and seemed to have not said or heard it aloud in a while. 

"I'm not asking that Ned, how do you feel about it." May asked slowly, a tiny frown appearing at the ends of her lips. 

Ned's eyes stayed trained are his hands, "If he would be okay with it, I am also." 

May sighed and retracted her hand, she took a slow breath before smiling at him.   
"Alright, thank you Ned,"

Ned nodded

-

Ned had an incredible hard time convincing his mom to let him go to "Spider-Man's" funeral.   
"It should be reserved for close family and friends Ned," 

Little did she know 

In the end, she agreed. And helped him pick out an outfit the day before. Ned did not sleep that night, he spent the whole night tossing and turning. Grief churning in his stomach like a flu. He had not realized that he hadn't slept the whole night until his mother knocked his door softly reminding him that he should get up and get ready for the funeral. In which he did, but with absolutely no emotion. 

-

He would describe the funeral but he, himself, couldn't remember much of it.   
He remembers seeing so many people he did not know, sniveling over Peter's closed casket. He remembered feeling angry at seeing them express so much when they had not known peter as other than Spider-Man. He also remembers seeing MJ, he remembers seeing her face crumble even further when Mr. Stark announced Spider-Man's identity, when he had told the world that Peter Parker was dead, but also Spider-Man. 

He didn't remember much after that, just blurs of people and scenery as he stumbled out of the door when the funeral officially ended. Tears poured down his face and he had a hard time imagining himself in a state where he isn't feeling this lonely and afraid. 

-

But as the months dragged on, and the more people approached Ned, annoyingly, in the hallways to say their condolences. He allowed himself to feel ok, he quickly became close friends with MJ, but not as close as peter and him had once been. He wasn't replacing peter, not now and not with MJ. 

And she understood and was ok with that. 

They both grieved, but they grieved together, they shared mutual stories about Peter and MJ has told him that she had liked Peter as more than a friend. Ned cried. He cried at their missed chance at a happy relationship, because Ned had recalled Peter telling him that he had liked her also. Ned told her that, and it was the first time that MJ had hugged him. 

It took a long time, a very long time before Ned had began to function properly again. Not fully, after Peter's death he had became really clingy to those he loved. Especially MJ, he couldn't bare loosing her too. He couldn't loose another best friend. Mr. Stark called him occasionally, just to check up on him and make sure he is alright. He always says his is even when he isn't, and he's almost positive Mr. Stark knows when he's lying. 

But he's ok with that. 

He makes sure to see May after week, she had just returned back into her job and only because the lack of money income was becoming hard to live with. Of course he had offered to help her, but May quickly declined that offer. He understood, and was ok with that. He just makes sure she knows that he will always have her back. He hasn't fully accepted Peter's death and wasn't sure if he ever will. But he still went forward, trying his best to convey the message Peter tried to voice. 

That there's help in every corner if you look in the right place.


	2. #2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A good amount of the story is taken from the movie directly, not really mine but I really wanted to put a little twist to it

"World governments are in pieces," Natasha whispered , defeat heavy in her tone." The parts that are still working are trying to take a census," 

Steve leaned himself against a wooden desk with his arms folded and his face bowed towards the ground, but Tony could still see his face that was pinched into an expression some would mistake for physical pain. But the genius knew better, everyone else was plagued with the guilt the blonde felt.

Thor was no better, separating himself from the group entirely opting to sit as far as he possibly can away, the upper half of his body seemingly given up and resting his elbows onto his knees. his eyes heavily glazed over it was clear he could not hear Natasha, or anyone outside of his own head.

"and it looks like he did.." the assassin took a deep breath, "it looks like he said exactly what he said he was gonna do," 

Carol's mouth parted slightly in a mixture of shock and grief as she saw Fury flicker across the same screen Tony had been staring at since the moment he had been rolled into the stupid meeting-

"Thanos wiped out, 50% of all.. living creatures" 

Tony knew he should look away from the screen, he knew it was doing him no better to watch the people he had failed flash across the screen after second. But he couldn't will himself to look away, he was looking for someone, a confirmation that he was really gone despite having already seen him dust before his own eyes, and in his own arms-

he watched as Falcon flashed across, he had never met the man personally, but he knew Steve held him a in a high regard. In the past that could have meant something to Tony, but now it just left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Then Ant-man flashed by, another one of Steve's, he specifically remembered this guy knocking Peter into a pile of crates. A frown tugged his lips downward at the mere thought of the teen, despite being stuck in space for god knows how long, the wound was still as fresh as ever.

and it hurt

Then the "Winter Solider", he rubbed at the Iv on his arm absentmindedly, he had not forgotten about Siberia-

and then there he was

Peter's picture flashed across the screen and Tony couldn't breath, the guilt and horror he had felt on Titan had returned full blast, and it stayed that way till Rhodey placed a hand on his thin shoulder and with his other, clicked on the keyboard in front of him and suddenly Peter was gone. 

Tony's eyes flickered to Natasha, he hadn't noticed that she had fell quiet until the emotion in the room became too thick for Tony to handle right now-

"Where is he now? where?" he asked to no one In particular, he needed an answer and he didn't care from who it came from. They needed to get on this, they needed to track him down so they could get those stupid space rocks back and reverse whatever the fuck Thanos did. 

He wanted Peter back, he wanted his son back. Sitting here crying and whining would not make the process faster by any means. 

"We don't know," Tony turned to look at Steve, who was still leaning onto a desk with his face hidden from the genius. When he looked up Tony no longer saw the pitched expression of pain he had witnessed moments before but a cold stone expression. Despite Tony's strong dislike of the man, he couldn't help but be thankful that at least someone else was on the same page as him.

"He just," Steve shook his head, a grim smile forming on his lips "Opened a portal and walked through" 

Tony scoffed lightly, turning away from the blonde and towards Thor who hadn't moved an inch. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's pissed," Spoke a new voice Tony hadn't recognized. When looking, he had found that it had came from a small racoon he must have overlooked when he came in "Thinks he failed" 

Tony snorted humorlessly,

"Which of course he did, but there's a lot of that going around here ain't there,"

"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a build-a-bear." 

"Maybe I am," 

Tony would have assumed that with a statement like that, the tone would at least be playful. But there was nothing, nothing indicating that anything positive was being felt.  
In another time, Peter could have laughed at this , the defeat in his tone being from the consistent incorrect assumptions and not from the mass murder of millions of people.   
But that is not this time, Peter is dead and so is at least 50% of the world population.

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now," Steve interrupted, "Deep space scans and satellites, we got nothing."

Steve took a deep breath before making eye contact with Tony again, and he already knew what was gonna be asked before the question even left the blondes lips.

"Tony, you fought him"

"Who told you that" Tony immediately bit back, it was hardly a fight. They all had put up a good defense, especially Peter, but there was no offense. " I didn't fight him" The billionaire kept Steve's stare as he continued, frustration leaking into his voice. "No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street Magician gave away the store. There was no fight"

Steve didn't take to the bait 

"Okay, did he give you any clues? any coordinates? anything?"

Tony motioned to his head and made a noise, he could even see Natasha getting frustrated with him but it didn't phase him. She was the one that left, she had left during the times he needed her most, 

"You know, I saw this coming a few years back," Tony swallowed and looked around the room once more, "I had a vision I didn't want to believe it, I was dreaming-"

"Tony i'm gonna need you to focus-"

That was it, that was all it took for the emotions that Tony had been trying to bottle up for the rest of this damn meeting. The betrayal in Siberia and the grief he felt over his fucking son, who was dead, who he had finally washed off when he stepped off the ship, who he needed to come back because he cannot stand to live another goddamn minute in a world he didn't share with Peter Stark. 

"And I needed you," The words came out as steely as he intended, meeting Steve's unwanted gaze head on, "As in past tense, that trump's what you need. Its too late buddy, sorry" 

Tony looked around at everyone's faces, he wasn't done. No, he threw his cup of water and stood up. Rhodey had already started making his way over to him to, Tony assumed to make him sit back down. He probably should too, his vision swam the second he got up. But he needed to say this. He needed Steve to understand just how much he let not only him down, but Peter. If they were together, Peter could still be alive, he could still have the ability to hold him, to watch him grow. He needed to say this. No amount of dizziness will stop him.

"You know what I need, is to shave." Tony began to walk but a sharp pain in his arm reminded him of the stupid Iv that was holding him back, "And I believe I remember telling you-"

"Tony, Tony, stop" Rhodey tried, attempting to stop the billionaire from taking the Iv out

"Alive and otherwise, that we needed, was a suit of armor around the world, remember that? whether It impacted our precious freedoms or not, that's what we needed."

"Well that didn't work out now did it," Steve interrupted, Tony walked forward some more despite Rhodey's quiet pleas to just sit back down.

"I said we'd loose, you said, 'we'd do that together too'. and guess what Cap, we lost. You weren't there." Tony paused, letting his words sink in, but Steve's face did not change, did not show any indication that he is even listening to a single word Tony was saying to him. He wanted that to change, he wanted to make Steve mad, he wanted Steve to feel just how he felt as his only son crumbled away in his arms. He needed Steve to feel the utter horror. 

"But that's what we do right, are best work after the fact-" Rhodey began wrestling Tony back in his seat, he didn't understand, Steve needed to hear this. he needed to say this.  
"What are we? the AVengers, we are the avengers? not the pre-vengers? right?"

"Okay okay Tony, you've made your point now sit down-" Tony pushed Rhodey away with whatever strength he had left and pointed at Carol, who raised her eyebrow in return at the sudden change of audience. 

"We need you, you're new blood. Not a bunch of tired old meals" he strode up to Steve with no interruptions Rhodey seemingly have taken the hint. Despite the alarmingly bigger black dots in his vision warning him not to, he pointed his finger right in his face

"I got nothing for you Cap, I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options, zero zip nada. no trust here you liar." He gasped, suddenly feeling short on breath   
Steve stared back, and Tony could see a slight crack in the expressionless façade the blonde tried putting on, " I lost my everything Steve, he's gone."

Tony could see the confusion in Steve's eyes and laughed humorlessly out loud, "He's the only reason I am standing here in front of you breathing right now, despite how much I'd rather not be. And all because you couldn't get over yourself and your stupid murdering friend-"

"What could you have possibly lost Stark," Tony definitely saw the fire he had wanted to ignite in the blondes eyes, the façade was abandoned and Steve's emotions were out for everyone in the room to see, which was blazing anger. "Last time I checked, Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy were all alive-" 

"My son you dipshit" Tony seethed through clenched teeth, the anger quickly left Steve's face. Now there was shame and confusion. he was shaking so hard whether it was from pure exhaustion or anxiety at the mention of Peter, he did not know for sure. He could have backed down now, he definitely didn't have the energy to keep on going, but he wanted Steve to feel shame. Even more so than he did now. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he already knew It to be Rhodey's, did he then realize just how badly he was shaking and how dizzy he felt. "My son." Tony had repeated again when Steve gave no indication of saying anything else.

The room was silent and Rhodey tried again to maneuver Tony back into his wheelchair.

"You had a son?"

Tony turned to Thor who re-entered the room and the conversation, Tony broke free of Rhodey again who sighed exasperatedly.   
He nodded back shakily,

"Peter Parker," Natasha whispered

Tony visibly flinched and Rhodey tried to pull him back which Tony shrugged off, "Yes,"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Steve had asked, genuine confusion written clear as day on his face. 

The fire that had quieted down somewhat when Thor entered the room roared back to life, "Just for you to stab him in the back like you did me?" Tony's breaths picked up as he stared at Steve, "You know what he said to me before he died in my arms Steve, you know what he said?" 

When the blonde didn't answer Tony replied, "I'm sorry dad, I'm sorry. He fucking apologized to me Rogers, apologized"

"you were on Titan," Natasha stated out loud, Tony then watched panting shaky breaths as the dots connected in her head. "Spider-Man"

Tony shook his head again, and looked back at Rhodey. He was looking at the ground but Tony could see the glimmers of tears in his eyes. He never had the chance to tell Rhodes just exactly what happened. Tony felt shame creep up him, Rhodey loved peter, he had helped babysit him when he was just a child. Tony should have been more careful about spilling Peter's death to him. He began to feel the heat behind his own eyelids. He would really like to leave so he could go mourn privately. 

As he looked back at Steve whos face had already suggested that he was about to say something Tony didn't entirely want to hear right now. and whatever thoughts Tony had about leaving fled his mind as he shoved back up his defense and glared daggers. "Whatever you're thinking about saying Rogers, keep it to yourself and shove it up your ass for me to deal with another day. Until then-" Tony ripped off the reactor from his chest and grabbed Steve's hand shoving it onto there. "Keep this, when you go find Thanos, and when you do hide. Cause I am done, I cant do this anymore."   
Just then did his knees buckle, his head was so floaty and he was so dizzy he didn't register the pain his knees had felt when they slammed on the ground. He could hear voices yelling his name and hands on him, "I'm fine, just-" 

and he saw no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to ask Alexa how to spell soilder


End file.
